Kevin Pietersen named in Tony Greig's Best-Ever England XI.

[MUFC1987]

Well, there are more runs scored per wicket and at a faster rate. 'Go figure'.

Jack Hobbs and WG played in what basically were cart tracks, utterly unpredictable bounce and pace. This is why they are so revered. Grieg looks like he's selected mostly players that he actually has seen

Yeah, I mean England score quicker now than 10 years ago, so it's obviously easier to bat now, rather than the players just being better. :

'Go figure'.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Yeah they are pioneers. I doubt they anyone back in the day could keep up with anyone playing International cricket in the modern era with all of the development training, etc that allow players to reach their full potential & generally 'words of wisdom' that have been passed down. Players in 30-40 years we'll most likely be better then ones of the current age, we'll just have to see if anyone living at the present has the grapefruits to admit it when the time comes along.

 

[Hooper]

Hebert Sutcliffe
Len Hutton (c)
Ken Barrington
Wally Hammond
Kevin Pietersen
Ian Botham
Allan Knott (wk)
Johnny Wardle
Alex Bedser
Fred Trueman
Frank Tyson

Tony is an idiot in my eyes. I dont listen to any of his podcasts anymore, they are just ridiculous. He just talks crap and he only loves KP because he is an African. No Jimmy Laker is a shock as well.

I'm amazed that Giles isn't there.

Me too!

No WG Grace?

Discraceful

 

[mattfb]

I dont believe Pieterson should be in ther England all time XI. He never really looks comfortable at the crease in my opinion and chooses the wrong balls to hit a lot of the time.

 

[King Pietersen]

I dont believe Pieterson should be in ther England all time XI. He never really looks comfortable at the crease in my opinion and chooses the wrong balls to hit a lot of the time.

Yeh. His test match average of over 50 is complete fluke. In his 200 against West Indies, every ball he hit was a wrong ball. Rubbish player.


¬¬

 

[mattfb]

Did i saw he hits every ball wrong? No.
He goes to whack a lot of balls early in his innings.
He has only just got over 2,500 runs with only 8 centurys.
I think in 2 years he will probably derserve this spot, but now right now.

 

[smssia0112]

KP is too young to be put in their best ever XI, he has only been in their test team for a couple of years now, and is certainly not able to compete with players of the like of WG Grace et al.

 

[nightprowler10]

Greig's an idiot purely based on that he left Hobbs out. WTF? Someone said that he made this XI based purely on stats, but we really should expect a better XI from a veteran cricketer. Anyone of us could compile an XI based on simply stats, though I suspect it would be better than his.

 

[Will_NA]

Did i saw he hits every ball wrong? No.
He goes to whack a lot of balls early in his innings.
He has only just got over 2,500 runs with only 8 centurys.
I think in 2 years he will probably derserve this spot, but now right now.

1) So does Hayden
2) So? If he manages to get 10000 Test Runs, he could end up with 30 odd centuries hypothetically

 

[A_Whitey]

Yeah, I mean England score quicker now than 10 years ago, so it's obviously easier to bat now, rather than the players just being better. :

'Go figure'.

Well, seeing as the rate has gone up for every Test country and the fact that bats have got better and the boundaries have been brought in, then I think batting is easier. With more uniform pitches also, batting has got easier.

But I'm sure that players have just got better, and that ^ has no effect.

 

[Almost_Austwick]

Yeah, I mean England score quicker now than 10 years ago, so it's obviously easier to bat now, rather than the players just being better. :

'Go figure'.

I don't know if its easier to bat in this day and age but I do know that the increase in scoring rate is due, in part, to the boom in ODI cricket. It's led to players becoming more aggressive and looking for runs instead of being happy to amble along at 2.5 an over.

As for KP and he probably is still too new to the international game to be placed in an all time XI. Give him a few years and then make the judgement.

 

[RoboRocks]

Greig's an idiot purely based on that he left Hobbs out. WTF? Someone said that he made this XI based purely on stats, but we really should expect a better XI from a veteran cricketer. Anyone of us could compile an XI based on simply stats, though I suspect it would be better than his.

Well he picked Johnny Wardle over Jim Laker purely on stats.
Wardle was part of a spin quartet with Laker and Lock and he was below them both despite his record.
Jack Hobbs as I said previously should always be in an England all time XI, he should always be thought of in an all time XI.

KP's inclusion is favorite towards a South African playing for England.
Denis Compton could of been chosen in that middle order as he was influential to Englands victories in the 50's.

Also I feel that Sydney Barnes could of been selected as he did brilliantly for England in the early 1900's.

 

[aussie_ben91]

He never really looks comfortable at the crease.

That's rubbish. I've never seen anyone look more comfortable at the crease. If anything he looks unstoppable when at the batting crease, so much that it seems that his the only batsman in the world who doesn't have to concentrate as much to get a century.

What if something trageic happened to Pietersen now & he never played another game of cricket? He easily looks like the best at the moment & they've been players who've been considered 'greats' or 'legends' of the game who have played less matches then he has.

 

[mattfb]

1) So does Hayden
2) So? If he manages to get 10000 Test Runs, he could end up with 30 odd centuries hypothetically

Like Aus said, it to early in his carrer.
If hes averaging 50 and has only 2,500 runs then hes not very experienced. England have been playing cricket for over 100 years. Im sure there are more experienced players then KP. He might feature in an all time XI in 2 years time, and it will be a good choice. But you cant put him in now and say he will be a legend. An All time XI doesn't work like that.

 

[Sureshot]

He goes to whack a lot of balls early in his innings.
He has only just got over 2,500 runs with only 8 centurys.
I think in 2 years he will probably derserve this spot, but now right now.

Point 1) That's one of the best things about, bowlers hate it.
2) That's pretty good, remember he has 3 158s and a double ton. 2,500 runs in 2 years of Cricket is very good, especially when he's played 10 tests against Australia.
3) I agree, it is too early for him to be in this all time XI, I have no doubt he'll get in it though, Cook probably will too.